Search

Think twice before sharing private data, including texts, passwords, photos, and more. One in 10 Canadians have had their personal content leaked to others without their permission." (CNW Group/McAfee, Inc.) Facebook Twitter Pinterest

Think twice before sharing private data, including texts, passwords, photos, and more. One in 10 Canadians have had their personal content leaked to others without their permission." (CNW Group/McAfee, Inc.)

1 in 10 Canadians have had their personal content leaked to others
without their permission

60% of Canadians have personal or intimate text messages, emails or
photos on their smartphones

MARKHAM, ON, Feb. 4, 2013 /CNW/ - McAfee Canada today released findings
from the company's 2013 Love, Relationships and Technology survey which
examines the pitfalls of sharing personal data in relationships and
discloses how breakups can lead to privacy leaks online. Sixty (60) per
cent of Canadian smartphone owners have personal and intimate
information on their mobile devices, such as bank account information,
passwords, credit cards and revealing photos, yet four out of 10 users
do not have password protection on their devices, leaving a huge gap in
personal data protection.

"People need to be more informed about the consequences of sharing so
much private information with their partners and friends," says Brenda
Moretto, Canadian Consumer Sales Manager at McAfee Canada. "Sharing
passwords might seem harmless, but it could and often does result in
critical personal information falling into the wrong hands and landing
in a public platform for all to see. People need to be aware of the
risks and take the steps to make sure their personal data is safe and
secure."

The study highlights the need for consumers to take steps to protect
themselves from cyber-stalking and exposure of private information. Top
findings from the survey include the following:

Relationships, Break-ups and Personal Data
Despite public awareness of data leaks and high-profile celebrity photo
scandals, Canadians continue to take risks by sharing personal
information and intimate photos with their partners and friends,
putting them at risk for a "revenge of the ex" situation. The study
shows that 97% of Canadians believe their data and revealing photos are
safe in the hands of their partners. However, McAfee has found that one
in 10 adults have had their personal content leaked to others without
their permission.

Amongst Canadian survey respondents who had exposed their ex-partners'
personal content, these were the reasons they cited for their actions:

Their ex-partner lied to them (60 per cent)

Their ex-partner cheated on them (50 per cent)

Their ex-partner broke up with them (10 per cent)

Eighteen (18) per cent of Canadian respondents regretted sending such
intimate content after a break up and 21 per cent of people even asked
their ex-partner to delete all personal content.

Sending Personal Content
Despite the risks, 23 per cent of Canadians still plan to send sexy or
romantic photos to their partners via email, text and social media on
the upcoming Valentine's Day.

Cyber Stalking
When armed with their partner's passwords, Canadians can't help but
snoop and check out their partners' emails, bank accounts and social
media pages. Approximately 45 per cent of people surveyed have admitted
to checking their significant others' social media pages and emails,
and 57 per cent have looked in on their bank accounts. The survey also
revealed that 41 per cent of Canadians track their ex-partners on
Facebook and Twitter, while only 38 per cent follow their current
partners.

Private Data
It's not just revealing photos that people need to worry about. One in
10 Canadians have had their personal content leaked to others without
their permission. Canadians just love to share and they are doing it at
every turn, increasing the likelihood of leaked data and identity
theft. Bank account numbers (66 per cent), health insurance IDs (60 per
cent), email accounts (57 per cent) social insurance numbers (53 per
cent), passwords (52 per cent) and mobile phone content (50 per cent)
have all been shared with relationship partners.

Approximately 11 per cent of people who have had personal content leaked
online hired an attorney and took legal actions to recover their
information and have embarrassing photos removed from websites. More
than a quarter (26 per cent) of the population has confronted the
individual online, more than half (53 per cent) have confronted the
individual in person, and 11 per cent have broken into that person's
email.

Unprotected Devices
Forty-one (41) per cent of Canadians leave their phone open and
unprotected without a password, letting anyone who picks up the device
access all their private content. More than 3 out of every 10 people
(33 per cent) never back up or save the content on their smartphones
and almost a quarter of Canadians (22 per cent) rarely or never delete
any personal or intimate text messages, emails and photos.

McAfee Canada maintains a website called "The State of Consumer and
Enterprise Security in Canada" (http://mcaf.ee/canadastats) in order to provide a one-stop shop for writers looking for
information on a variety of trends and issues affecting and shaping the
Canadian security landscape.

* Quantitative Methodology
MSI International conducted a total of 517 online interviews in Canada
among adults ages 18-74. Interviews among respondents were split evenly
by age and gender, and achieved geographic distribution according to
the US census. The interviews were conducted from December 14 through
December 30, 2012.

McAfee Canada is headquartered in Markham, Ontario, with regional
offices across Canada. The company's Consumer Software Research and
Development facility is based in Waterloo, Ontario.